Kopeikin Gallery is pleased to present our first exhibition with Los Angeles artist Kiel Johnson titled: Prepping for the Edge. Although the artist is well known for his sculptures, this exhibit will feature Johnson’s watercolors over the past few years as he seeks to document various subjects through repetition and categorization. Johnson’s most recent works on paper are meditative and comprehensive inventories made up of ink and watercolor. Meticulous and small-scale renderings compiled become an elaborate network of objects. The exhibition opens on January 12th, 2019 with an opening reception with the artist from 6 – 8 PM. The show will be on view through March 9, 2019.
“I use boats and airplanes, space ships and covered wagons as representations of adventure and discovery. It is a human need to go beyond the boundaries and confines of the world that we inhabit. My work reflects this sense of exploration. To me nothing in the world is mundane; everything can be seen and made to express wonder. I am driven to create diaries of my world, my travels and the inventory of my existence.” - Johnson (in a recent interview with Art & Cake) Apart from his small scale works on paper, Johnson creates large scale imaginative drawings and sculptures for interactive public programming for the youth and numerous public installations. His projects have been made accessible in notable institutions such as the LA Philharmonic and The J. Paul Getty Center, Los Angeles.
Kiel Johnson received his BFA in Sculpture & Drawing at the University of Kansas and his MFA in Drawing & Painting at California State University Long Beach, CA. His work is part of multiple collections such as Creative Artist Agency in Beverly Hills, CA, the University of Kansas School of Business, and Sprint World Headquarters in Kansas City, MO.